JIRO Local, Now

Hi there! This is JIRO.  Today, I’m excited to share a story about a city in South Korea that is absolutely obsessed with strawberries: Nonsan. > Just how deep does their love for berries go? Let’s dive right in and find out!

Hello everyone, this is JIRO!  We are excited to launch a new series exploring Korean Seasonal Customs, following the beautiful transition of the seasons throughout the year. Our first journey begins with "Dong-je," a sacred ritual performed in spring to wish for peace and prosperity in local villages. Curious to learn about this ancient tradition? Let’s dive right in! Dong-je : A Prayer for All Peace Blossoms in our Village this Spring 'Dong-je' is a collective rite held by residents to ensure the peace of their village. Offerings for the ritual had to be kept pure and sacred.  To ensure this, red clay was scattered near the well, and a sacred rope (Geumjul) or straw mats were used to block access. Only water drawn from this protected well was used to prepare the sacred offerings . On the day of the ritual, people gathered at the sacred site after midnight, around the time of the first rooster's crow, to begin the ceremony . The ceremony followed a sacred sequenc...

Hello from JIRO! Today, we’re excited to share the March issue of the JIRO Letter, featuring Gurye County in Jeollanam-do. In an earlier post, we introduced spring in Gurye, when the cornelian cherry blossoms come into bloom. This new issue explores the story in greater detail, so we hope you’ll take a look. JIRO Letter March Issue: Discover Spring in Gurye, Jeollanam-do Spring in Korea? Make it Gurye. Gurye County is one of the first places in Korea where you can  truly feel the arrival of spring. This is because Gurye has the largest number of cornelian cherry trees in the country. Their yellow blossoms bloom earlier than cherry blossoms, quietly announcing the beginning of spring. By mid-March, the entire village is painted yellow with blooming cornelian cherry flowers. It is also the time when the Cornelian Cherry Blossom Festival takes place. As you immerse yourself in the festival and feel spring with your whole body, you may find yourself filled with yellow excitement. And p...

 Hello, this is JIRO. These days, the weather in Korea finally feels like spring. It can still be a little chilly at times, but it’s clearly different from the cold days of winter. Today, we would like to share a glimpse of spring in JIRO’s everyday life. At the same time, we would love to hear what spring looks like in your neighborhood as well. First, let’s take a look at spring through the eyes of JIRO. Share your spring with us! Send us photos of spring in your neighborhood. JIRO will carefully feature and archive them in a post! Spring in Songtan #On the way to the library Spring in Guun-dong #Morning sky #On the way to school Spring at Ajou University #The semester has begun #Gone with the vacation Spring at Cheonggyecheon Stream #Exploring Seoul #A day out Spring in Giheung-gu #Trying the EverLine #Twisted donuts taste even better in spring Share photos of spring in your neighborhood via Instagram DM or the email below! How did you enjoy spring with JIRO? These days the we...

Hello, this is JIRO. It has been quite a while since our last post. Our previous article about the Sansuyu (Cornelian Cherry) Festival in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do received a lot of positive feedback. So today, we would like to introduce some must-visit local restaurants in Gurye. Let’s take a look! Gurye County, Jeollanam Province See Jirisan Mountain,  Visit Hwaeomsa Temple,  See Sansuyu (Cornelian Cherry) Flowers And check out this local restaurant Sanarae Cheotjip 76 Jikjeon-gil, Toji-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do Signature dish : Mushroom Hot Pot Jirisan — the home of many wild mushrooms! Side dishes served with the mushroom hot pot highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients. A perfect way to experience Gurye’s nature with both your eyes and your taste buds! Jeonwon Garden 76 Seomjingang-ro, Gurye-eup, Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do Signature dish:  Spicy Fish Stew (Maeuntang) Gurye’s Maeuntang (Spicy Fish Stew) is made with freshwater fish from the Seomjin River, alo...